What really goes on in a Maine smelt shack

It’s a far cry from sitting on a bucket, in the frozen middle of a windswept pond, waiting for a flag to pop up on your trap. It’s kind of luxurious. It’s warm and fun. It’s hardly like ice fishing at all.

Smoke rises from stovepipes at Jim’s Camps on the Cathance River in Bowdoinham on Saturday night. All camps were full as fishermen sought smelt on the incoming tide. Troy R. Bennett | BDN

On Saturday night, me and a gang of friends fished the rising tide at Jim’s in Bowdoinham. We didn’t catch our limit but we snagged enough to eat — and drank enough beer — to have some fun.

I brought my cameras and grabbed some fun footage to make a video with my cronies in the Half Moon Jug Band. I’d had the chorus to this song in my head for a few years but I just got around to finishing it a couple weeks ago. Just in time.

Chris checks out a smelt I caught at Jim’s Camps on the Cathance River in Bowdoinham on Saturday night. All camps were full as fishermen sought smelt ion the incoming tide. Troy R. Bennett | BDN

Up the Kennebec River, past Merrymeeting Bay
Down the Abagadasset ’round Bowdoinham way
In a shack with a hole, sittin’ out on the ice
Singing, “Here fishy, fishy, come take a bite?”
Smeltin’, its wicked cold
Smeltin’, feels like 10 below
Smeltin’, put a stick of wood in the stove
Were goin’ smeltin’ this Saturday night
Were goin’ smeltin’ this Saturday night

Were going smeltin’ out on the iceWere going smeltin’ cause they fry up niceWere going smeltin’ take my adviceAnd go smeltin’ this Saturday night, oh baby

Theyre just itty bitty fish only bout yay long
Swimmin up on the tide and then theyre gone
I’ll bring the cornmeal, you bring the beer
If we catch a bunch we can cook ’em right here
Smeltin’, in the middle of the night
Smeltin’, might get a little tight
Smeltin’, yeah you got that right
Were goin’ smeltin’ this Saturday night
Were goin’ smeltin’ this Saturday night

12 lines in the hole, hope theyre on a run
But you never can tell, we might get none
I hope we catch more than we did last year
If we get skunked at least we still got the beer
Smeltin’, in the old ice shack
Smeltin’, I brought an 18 pack
Smeltin’, might never come back
Were goin’ smeltin’ this Saturday night
Were goin’ smeltin’ this Saturday night

Steve snags a smelt at Jim’s Camps on the Cathance River in Bowdoinham on Saturday night. Troy R. Bennett | BDN

Jeff does a quick measurement of Steve’s first smelt at Jim’s Camps on the Cathance River in Bowdoinham on Saturday night. Troy R. Bennett | BDN

All camps were full as fishermen sought smelt on the incoming tide at Jim’s Camps in Bowdoinham on Saturday night. Troy R. Bennett | BDN

Smoke rises from stovepipes at Jim’s Camps on the Cathance River in Bowdoinham on Saturday night. All camps were full as fishermen sought smelt on the incoming tide. Troy R. Bennett | BDN